by Rebecca Sciullo | Jan 16, 2019 | Learning
How Did You Find My Work?
You can learn much by asking your art buyers this simple question.
Have you been having success working your art plan? If so, do you know which marketing channels and efforts are bringing you customers? There’s a simple way to find out which of your activities are working for you; just ask the buyer one question; “How did you find my work?”
Knowing where your business is coming from helps you make smarter decisions about where to spend your time and money marketing. The only way to get this information is to find out for yourself by asking.
With the endless marketing opportunities the Internet now gives artists, it’s even more critical for you to know where your business is coming from. Also, it’s rewarding to learn how a collector found you and why they chose your work. It lets you know what you’re doing right. How can you know what’s drawing people to you if you don’t ask them?
Ask all people who call, e-mail, or attend one of your events how they heard about you and your work. When you determine where your clients are coming from, you’re better able to target the right people.
And, you might be more inclined to do this if business has been slow, but don’t forget to ask when sales are brisk. Asking this question helps to make sure that you are on the right track. You will learn which efforts are paying off the most, and you can devote more time there, and maybe pull back from areas that do not seem to be bearing as much fruit.
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by Rebecca Sciullo | Dec 10, 2018 | Planning, Productivity, Time Management
Do You Have a Morning Routine?
My morning routine is definitely one of the best parts of my daily schedule. It sets the pace and tone of my day. When I miss it, I find that my time isn’t quite as productive. How about you? Do you have a morning routine? If not, consider starting one in 2019. Here are seven tales of true productivity to get you started.
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by Rebecca Sciullo | Dec 3, 2018 | Learning, Social Media
Social media for artists is a very effective marketing tool, but it must be used in the right way. Avoid these mistakes and you’ll be on your way to creating a large fan base for your work.
Social media usage has become a part of modern culture, and much of it is visual, so it only makes sense that the art world shines there. It’s a powerful tool that allows artists to connect with potential buyers. As the number of social media platforms has has grown, it’s also becoming more complex to navigate. The large possibilities for connection help to increase the possibility for art business sales and opportunities, but there are some mistakes that can hinder your results.
Avoid the following practices on social media to avoid wasting your time and your fans tuning you out.
1. Not Interacting With Your Followers
Social media gives artists the opportunity to interact directly with current and prospective buyers. So, if people are commenting on an artist’s work and the artist is not responding, followers may become disinterested and turn their attention elsewhere. Try to respond to comments, shares, and likes on your posts. Even something as simple as “thank you so much for commenting” can go a long way toward building relationships with people on social media.
2. Inconsistent Visuals
A good strategy is to start with one platform at a time. Expand as you can and work to be on the sites that make the most sense for you. When appearing on more than one platform, it’s important to keep personal branding consistent. For an artist, this simply means try to keep your images consistent across platforms. So, if you are using a head shot – try to use the same one on each platform. If you have a header image of your work, keep it consistent. When people see your work consistently o multiple platforms, it gives your work a larger presence in their minds. This doesn’t mean, however that content has to be the same. Try to post different content on each site.
3. Going Off-topic
If your social media profile is for your art business, try to stay on-topic. That is, stick to posting your own artwork, perhaps art from other artists that you admire or work with, businesses and organizations that you work with, or information about the art world or specific to your medium. Steer clear of random personal notes that don’t relate to your work or making social/political commentary. An exception to this rule would be when your work is related to a specific issue or cause. Then, your followers will be expecting to hear your thoughts. People are visiting your page to interact and learn about your work. Keep the personal stuff to personal profiles.
4. Only Posting Your Artwork
The fastest way to lose followers is to be all about you all the time. If an artist posts nothing but their own work with no engagement-focused posts to inspire conversations, the audience will become bored and click away. It is vital when marketing on social media not to appear to be spam. Art lovers are on social media for more than just viewing art and as such, they follow a lot of pages.
Try posting two images of your work per week filling the rest of your feed with probing questions and valuable content that addresses something related to your art community, your medium or your niche.
Do you have any other “do’s or don’t” that you’ve learned working on social media for your art business? Share them with me at becky@artisan-advantage.com and I’ll include them in a future post.
Photo by William Iven on Unsplash
by Rebecca Sciullo | Nov 12, 2018 | Learning
Take your inventory at year’s end.
And I don’t just mean an inventory of the pieces of art that sold this year. Before you start planning goals for the new year, it’s important to step back and review the year that is ending—take time to reflect and see how your art business went for the year in its entirety.
Your Art Business Year End Review
What were your successes, and where did you come up short? What worked and what didn’t? Which were good decisions, which were bad? It’s time to decide whether or not you are satisfied with your results this year.
There is always room for improvement. Every aspect of your business should be reviewed. You will learn how to correct mistakes so that you don’t repeat them. If you don’t take stock, and you might not even realize you are off-course in your business until too much time has passed, too many resources have been spent, and your business is on the rocks.
Here are some questions to guide your year-end review.
What was your biggest win last year in your art business?
What was the smartest decision you made last year in your art business?
What lessons did you learn last year?
What is your biggest piece of unfinished business from last year?
What are you most happy about completing last year?
Can you list three contacts who had the most impact on your business?
What was the biggest risk you took in your business?
What surprised you the most in your art business this year?
What key relationships did you develop this year for your business?
Can you describe your art business year in one word?
Carve time out for this important task. The end of the year is hectic in both your personal and business life, and it may seem like you have better things to do, but this is an important step to take before you
In every case of a business inventory, time is set aside for an important task. Those taking that inventory might think there are other, more pressing matters, yet we know the inventory is needed.
If you would like help with your end of year review and planning for 2019, I’m offering mini-consults devoted to this through December. Click here for more detail.
Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash
by Rebecca Sciullo | Nov 8, 2018 | Learning
“If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
We’ve all heard it and most of us follow it—at least when it comes to talking to other people. Would you tell a fellow artist that their work isn’t strong enough to enter a competition or that they aren’t any good at marketing? Probably not. Do you ever say these things about yourself, either out loud or to yourself? Hopefully not!
Negative self-talk happens in your head, so it’s not as obvious as verbal criticism—but it’s just as harmful. It can also be habitual. And if you tell yourself the same negative statement over and over, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
It’s Time for a Self-Talk Shift!
Don’t be a captive audience to self-criticism. The first step is to become aware of the behavior, then correct it. Replace these common self-criticisms with positive, affirming messages to yourself.
Don’t say “I can’t sell.”
Say “I am excited to share my work with people.”
Think about your interactions with people interested in your work as engaging them in a conversation, rather than selling to them.
Don’t Say “I hate social media, so I don’t want to use it to promote my work.
Say “I’m open to learning more about what social media can do for my business.”
New activities and skills can be daunting. It’s easy for lack of familiarity to lead to disinterest or even fear, which could cause you to miss out on the benefits of a new way to promote your work. Instead of avoiding the activity, take the first step in moving forward. Ask for advice from another artist or find an online video to learn more about the skill.
Don’t Say “I don’t think everyone will like my art.”
Say “I am a talented artist and there will be people who appreciate my work.”
It is impossible to please everyone with your work. Even the most famous artists have their critics. Instead of focusing on people who won’t like your work, focus on people who are interested in your work.
Don’t Say “I’ll never be as good as (other artist).
Say “I wonder what she’s doing that I can learn from.”
There will always be someone who is more established and successful than you. Resist the urge to compare yourself to other artists. It will just leave you feeling defeated and discouraged. Instead, use the artists that you admire as a source of inspiration and motivation.
Don’t Say “I don’t have enough time for my art business.”
Say “I will make time for my art business.”
Everyone starts with the same number of hours each day, and only we can decide how they’re spent. While there are certain obligations that can’t be avoided, like work and caring for kids, you may be surprised by how much time you can free up by eliminating unnecessary activities.
Don’t Say “I’ll never be that successful.”
Say “I am exactly in the place I am supposed to be right now.”
Embrace your art business in its current state. Don’t wait until you reach your goals. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t improve and grow your business. It means you can enjoy the process of moving it along.
Don’t Say “I failed.”
Say “I’m learning and creating new behaviors.”
When you’re struggling to move forward with your business and get your work out into the hands of collectors, roadblocks and setbacks are inevitable. Instead of labeling them as failures, regard them as lessons.
Don’t Say “I’m too old to start an art business.”
Say “I’m up for the challenge, and I can do this.”
Of course, you can!
Don’t Say “People are going to criticize my work. .”
Say “People will admire me for working hard.”
There will always be critics, but most people will be appreciative of your efforts. Don’t be discouraged by criticism. Instead, take what you can learn from it and leave the rest behind.
This journey is yours and yours alone, and you should never feel like you’re inadequate for working to improve your art business. Take pleasure in each step along the way.
Are there other negative things that you say to yourself as an artist? How can you “flip” them into words of self-encouragement?
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Photo by Kristina Flour on Unsplash
